Security assessments

Security assessments are carried out by individuals who are unclear as to the quality of the security measures put in place on their IT systems and networks. The benefits to a secure network are many, but include the security measure’s ability to protect user confidentiality, sensitive data, system resources, and much more. Security Assessments are usually done on a monthly or even weekly basis in some cases. These are done to make sure the website or web-based program is still in compliance with passing security requirements to meet PCI DSS or your web admin and industry standard compliance.

How does it work?

Companies that conduct security assessments on IT systems and networks follow a fairly standard pattern. They must first observe the system and all of its components to identify the requirements of the task at hand. After the problems and scope have been identified, most companies will then create an action plan to present to their customer. Following that, vulnerability scans, penetration tests, and a few other common methods of testing the security level of a system are conducted.

When the scans and test have been completed, the security company will evaluate the findings and propose a plan for making the system more secure. Information likely to be included in the report concerns the original state of the system or network, what methods were used to identify potential problems, weaknesses, and holes in the security features of the system, and the company’s recommendations for rectifying the issues.

Types of Security Assessment

There are many reasons that a company would wish to run a security assessment and the kind of assessment that is ultimately chosen is purely dependent on the specific needs of the company ordering the service.

For one thing, companies may wish to learn more about who can access their systems and at what permission level they have when they do. This type of assessment is common among companies which run membership sites that deal with payment issues and services, and where having the wrong people accessing the wrong areas of the system could potentially cause a lot of harm. Another type of assessment is insurance-based. It is not uncommon for a company that depends on their IT systems to wonder what would happen if some part of their system was to fail. A security company can run the appropriate tests and offer the correct guidance to safeguard against any possible loss in information or time.

There are also many network-related issues that must be taken into consideration. From web content filtering to firewall and intrusion detection to remote access controls, there are a multitude of settings and configurations that need to be taken into consideration if a company wishes to remain secure.

Conclusion

Given the gravity of the topic and potential risks involved, it should be clear that the assessment practices employed by an IT system administrator need to be well-planned and professionally carried out. This is something, that we at Holm Security are more than capable of.

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